


For A Fool

by orphan_account



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Prompt Fill, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 11:40:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15840549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Kasius has tried nearly everything to let her know how he feels. Somehow, the message isn't getting through.





	For A Fool

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agentmmayy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentmmayy/gifts), [TheQueenInTheNorth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenInTheNorth/gifts).



> For agentmmayy who always enables me with her prompts. And for apathbacktoyou, as part of emotional restitution for My Sun and Rain :)

Sinara hit the mattress hard, the blow shoving wind from her lungs. She kicked one of her legs in the air, propelling herself into a roll she used to retreat to the far side of the bed. Her skirt hitched up, and her hair was beginning to fall out of its carefully arranged style, stray strands falling into view.

The room was spinning above her, and she couldn’t catch her breath between wheezes of laughing.

A hand grabbed her shoulder, rolling her back across the bed quickly enough to make the spinning in her head significantly worse. Though it was possible, it had more to do with how Kasius was holding her against him than the alcohol warming her blood and spinning her head.

Sinara caught the hand not holding onto her before it could reach out again. “Stop tickling me.” She demanded, impressed at how even her voice was.

He jabbed her in the side with his remaining free hand.

_So be it._ Faster than lightning, she grabbed his other hand, pinning both to his chest. She pushed herself to her knees so she could lean over him, hold him down really.

“Are you quite finished?” She tried to sound angry, to no avail, voice cracking with laughing on the last word.

“No, please, continue,” Kasius said, eyes narrowed, with an edge to his voice that didn’t quite sound sarcastic. “I didn’t think I’d make it this far with a tickle fight.”

Sinara narrowed her eyes. “Wrong. I don’t think you’re going to last much longer.”

Something flickered in Kasius’s eyes, she could have sworn they became darker.

“I suspect you’re right.”

The door to Sinara’s bedroom slammed open, and both of them froze.

“Oh, shit, I—“ Hahna, her sister, Kasius’s betrothed stood in the doorway looking mortified.

Sinara shoved Kasius away from her so fast that he slipped halfway off the bed.

“You’re back early.”

“A couple people were wondering why the prince disappeared from his own brother’s homecoming celebration three hours early. Don’t worry, I’ll make your excuses, Kas.”

Hahna disappeared behind the door as Kasius scrambled to his feet. He seemed not to realize she’d gone until he reached the door and found it shut in his face.

Kasius groaned, running a hand over his hair in a gesture of frustration.

“Go.” Sinara nodded towards the door, her words were met with an apologetic smile and Kasius rapidly disappearing behind the door.

She fell back against her bed, muffling her own groan of frustration in one of the silly decorative pillows she had lying about.

*

It’s not like she’s in love with him. That would be beyond pathetic, and even more than that, it would be stupid. With her father’s newfound position of prestige on the Emperor’s council, it was important that Hahna marry the prince, seal the deal and all that.

And besides that, Kasius had been her friend for long before any of this happened. Back when her father lived in a tiny guardhouse on the palace grounds, before any of this had happened.

So, no, she wasn’t. She didn’t like how smart he was or find it even a little endearing when he was, beyond needlessly histrionic. She certainly had never been distracted by how shockingly blue his eyes were, or how much he resembled one of the magnificent statues in the garden, as though his face were artfully carved from smooth stone.

_Or that ass._

Sinara ran her hands through her hair, gripping it at the roots as though to banish the thought from her mind. _Shut the hell up._

“What are you doing?”

The words pulled her back to the present solely by how horrified Kasius sounded. They were sitting on a bench in one of the garden pavilions. The one that overlooked a sea of orange and purple flowers arrayed around them in an intricate spiral pattern stretching nearly twenty meters in either direction. It was one of Kasius’s favorite areas, away from the chaos of the main promenade. The pavilion was quiet, save the babbling of the fountain in the middle, the white silk drapes hanging around them caught, and stopped the wind, keeping the interior serene.

She shot him a quizzical look, not needing to voice her question.

Kasius slid closer— even closer, he wasn’t one for personal space in the first place, along the bench. “Your hair looks lovely today, don’t mess it up.”

She glared at him, which he chooses to ignore in favor of readjusting her hair.

“Was I truly being that irritating?”

Sinara had no recollection of what they had been talking about.

“You weren’t even listening, were you?” He sounded more concerned than angry, his hand falling from her hair to her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Well, she couldn’t very well be as blunt as she usually opted to be, at least she had the excuse of the previous night’s celebration. “I’m hungover.”

Kasius chuckled and looped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her the rest of the way against him, so her head was tucked between his neck and shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her temple and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Can you listen to me now? It’s rather important. I know you don’t want to, but“

“What is it?”

Kasius scoffed as though surprised, and his arm tightened around her shoulders. “I have never been so relieved to be wrong about you. Now, I have a problem…”

_What?_ She asked herself. _You know this is just how he is._

*

The yearly celebration on the anniversary of Emperor Taryan’s coronation was always an extravagant affair. Dignitaries from all over the planet, empire, and system were in attendance, the city’s elite, and all of their entourages. All put on in the palace’s largest ballroom which spanned an entire wing on multiple levels; the upper levels being balconies from which guests could watch the festivities.

It wasn’t the first time Sinara had been, but as always, she sincerely hoped it would be the last. Hahna and a few of her friends were agonizing over how Hahna could best catch her fiancé’s attention. Which was an utterly awful thing to be forced to overhear,

particularly when it lasted over two hours.

Besides, it wasn’t as though any of it were comfortable; Sinara’s dress was heavy and stifling in a hall filled with so many people and the braid Hahna had wrangle her hair into was giving her a slight headache.

“I see you’re having a terrible time.”

She turned slightly to the side, even that motion hindered by the ridiculous outfit, Kasius was standing behind her left shoulder looking equally as displeased.

“Your father is the worst man in history,”

Kasius chuckled. “I barely recognized you in the costume.” He gestured vaguely. “You look nice.”

“Asshole,” Sinara muttered.

”No, I'm quite sincere. You do!”

Sinara didn't offer a response for a long moment, by the time she had something to say, Kasius had moved on.

”Would you like to dance?”

Sinara was momentarily taken aback by the question, but she knew the answer, she knew what the answer always was. ”No. Ask Hahna, she is—“

“It is rather a large crowd,” Kasius said, nodding his understanding, or, whatever he thought he understood. Then, he leaned in, kissed her cheek, and turned on his heel to leave her.m

Sinara caught his wrist, pulling him halfway back to her.

“Change of heart?” Kasius jibed.

“Be sure to notice her dress, too; she debated for two hours today if you preferred red, or dark blue.”

“Lovely,” Kasius’s eyes lingered on her for a long moment before darting towards Hahna. “We will have something to discuss when I ask her to dance.”

“She’ll be thrilled. If you’ll excuse me, I can’t stay another minute here sober.”

Kasius nodded in grave understanding, cutting around her on his path to Hahna.

Sinara retrieved a drink from one of the white-clad servants and made her way to the one quiet corner of the room, tucked back near the door.

She couldn’t see much of the dance floor from where she stood but caught a glimpse of Kasius dancing, and laughing with her sister. She wanted to roll her eyes at the flips her stomach did at the whole idea but failed to find herself even a little amusing.

Fortunately, she was distracted enough by a gaggle of younger members of the court.

_New money, new power, no respect._ They were mocking her, or more likely Hahna, it was a common enough phrase thrown at them. No one was fond of Hahna because she swooped in and got the Emperor’s son. No one was fond of her for being the person who glowers and cowers from a corner at the Emperor’s party. _Untraditional_ , they thought.

The music changed, and the younger courtiers scampered off to join in the new dance. She spotted Kasius and Hek-Sel, one of Kasius’s guards who she had ever got in with, making for the door.

So, she shrinks back into the shadows; they don't spot her as they pass, but they stop on the other side of the door, speaking in hushed tones.

She doesn't mean to overhear it, per se, but can't make herself walk away when they're talking about Hahna.

”Where did she go?” Hek-Sel asked. ”I’m surprised she wasn't more interested in dancing with you.”

”Why?”

”The way you two flirt is _shameful_.” Hek-Sel.

”And yet, she does not notice.” Kasius lamented. ”Now, make my excuses, please, I’d like to leave within the hour.”  
  


*

They were sitting in Kasius’s private dining room. A grand room with gold and white molding twisting high above them, around a brilliant grand mural on the ceiling, and floor to ceiling windows on looking out over the lake gardens. A cool evening breeze drifting in from the two of the windows that were open, carrying with it, echoes of the chatter below.

Kasius hadn’t touched his food, which was exceedingly unusual. Usually, he tried everything and had something to say about all of it. But, he just sat at the table, spinning the wine in his glass, staring it as though it had the answer to every question he’d ever had.

The silence was becoming distinctly alarming.

“What’s wrong with you?” She demanded.

Kasius heaved a the most world-weary sigh she had ever heard, and she was already resisting the urge to roll her eyes before he opened his mouth.

“I am,” he paused, as though trying to decide on the word to best describe his angst. “Broken-hearted, disconsolate, anguish—“

“Those mean the same thing.”

Kasius glowered at her. “You don’t want to know why?”

“Do you want to me to want that?”

Kasius waved a hand at her lazily. “Don’t worry, Sinara, I’ll tell you.”

Sinara didn’t even bother arguing with him.

“She doesn’t notice me! I’ve left hint after hint for, goodness, years now, and she never responds to them.”

Sinara had never wanted to leave a room faster. Instead, she took a large gulp of wine and carefully considered what to say next. All she came up with was; “She sounds like an idiot. You are not subtle.”

“Sinara, don’t say that ab— well, truly she’s quite intelligent, perhaps she doesn’t understand me.”

“Here’s my advice—“

“You have advice?” Apparently, Kasius found that idea very amusing, he laughed for nearly thirty seconds.

“Do you want it or not? I’m tired.”

“By all means,” Kasius gestured as though saying, _go ahead, have at it, it will be rubbish anyway._

“Be more obvious. Just, tell her how you feel directly, then you’ll know.”

Kasius shrugged. “Not as bad as I thought.”

Sinara began to get up from the table. “It’s my hobby to prove you wrong.” She allowed an edge of suggestion in her voice, in spite of herself and their former conversation.

“Sinara!” Kasius called after her as she turned to leave, his voice wavered slightly over her name.

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

Sinara flashed him a tight smile ignoring the irregular tempo her heart beat at the words. “Good, just like that. If she doesn’t understand that, you might consider picking someone more intelligent.”

When she turned to leave, Kasius was leaning back in his chair, hands on his forehead, thinking, or psyching himself up to take her advice, perhaps.

She needed some air.

*

After leaving the dining room, Sinara had a strange, awful feeling. Somehow simultaneously quietly unsettling and confusing and loud. The feeling was all-consuming, destroying all else that might have ordinarily distracted her.

So, she walked.

The garden path was sporadically lined with soft golden lights, help off the ground by delicate metal poles. She walked along a covered path; a crawling plant with white flowers grew along an arched wire tunnel over it. It was really too late now for anyone else to be out, she’d been walking for so long, and her feet were beginning to tire. But, if she returned to her family’s home, she didn’t doubt she’d spend the next few hours pacing her room there.

Instead, she took a left, through a marble arch, into a pavilion made of the same stuff as the tunnel, and sat down on the low stone bench looking in on the center of the pavilion.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, transfixed by the small fountain in the center of the pavilion, seeing only the water, dancing in the half-light, hearing just it’s soft babble. But, somewhere along the way, she forgot the strange, awful feeling, and the knot in her stomach began to unfurl. And she was left exhausted.

“What are you doing out here?”

She glanced up, the knot in her stomach pulling itself back together at the familiar voice. Kasius was standing in the entrance to the pavilion, she hadn’t heard him approach. Maybe his meeting hadn’t gone well.

“Couldn’t sleep.” She rose from the bench as began to make her way towards the exit, edging around Kasius to leave the pavilion. “Right, I should.”

Kasius caught her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. “You’re absurdly dense.”

Sinara frowned. “All right.” It was a question in a statement, not disagreeing at all, only wondering why he’d said it.

He released her wrist, both hands lifting up to cup the sides of her face. Before she had a moment to respond, she was stumbling back until she felt the cold stone of the arch through her blouse.

_He was kissing her!_

Anything she might have known how to do otherwise flew out of her mind, her hands lifting almost helpless from her sides to rest on against his chest. And it seemed to be the only movement she was capable of. One hand released her cheek and dropped to loop around her waist.

But, just as she was beginning to get used to… whatever was happening, Kasius pulled away. It took every remaining ounce of restraint in her not to groan at the interruption, and then a few moments before she could form a coherent thought.

“What?”

Kasius looked pained. “Do you ever even hear me? Is that truly not obvious enough?”

_Oh. Right._

“What about my sister?”

“That’s a matter for another time.”

“What about the—“

“There’s no other, you’re just, in your own words, an idiot.” He kissed her again, fleetingly.

“You shouldn’t tell that to someone if you’re trying to sleep with them.”

“I am not!”

“Fine, I love you. You can kiss me again now.”

“Should we go inside?”

Sinara rolled her eyes. Then, kissed him again, her hands sliding up his chest, her arms winding around his neck. Despite his protestations, she didn’t hear a complaint when she turned around and pressed him against the arch. His hand fell to the nape of her neck, pulling her closer, and hers pulled at the material of his jacket. He certainly didn’t protest to her winding her legs around his waist, pulling herself over him, pressing him to the wall, deepening the kiss.

Or, anything else really.

*

Hours and hours later, when morning sunlight was streaming through the sheer curtains, and she was so exhausted her limbs felt too heavy to move, she still hadn’t gone to sleep.

And Kasius was prodding her arm, trying to wake her. “Sinara, get up. The servants—“

Sinara waved him aside in a flash of irritation, could he not let her rest?

Kasius chuckled and kissed her, quickly but gently.“Will you please wake up before I am compelled to start another tickling fight?”

Sinara shifted in his arms until she could look him in the eye.

“I will _kill_ you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, as always comments/feedback are appreciated & I hope you enjoyed  
> ~sinara-smith


End file.
